Salaam Bombay! Mira Nair [1988]

If you have seen Slumdog Millionaire, and are looking for something more realistic and authentic, then go watch Salaam Bombay!

Gritty realism and bold display of issues affecting people is something that is rare in a 1980´s Bollywood motion picture. Before "Salaam Bombay!" the sordid and dark underbelly of the city had mostly been portrayed in the regular masala manner leaving audiences detached to what was happening onscreen. The image of Mumbai is realistically portrayed and Mira Nair went to extreme lengths to ensure that the real throb of the city came across, that it did not seem like a caricature. Real-life street children were cast in important roles, and their acting performance is outstanding! Experience of living the rough life in the city must have helped them, as their performances are true-to-life. Shafiq Syed and Hansal Vithal pour their hearts into their performances, giving the film a rare intensity.

Salaam Bombay! Review
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